Folding crate or coop



No. 632,644. Patented Sept. 5, |899. L. W. CPELAND.

FOLDING CRATE 0R COUP.

(Application filed Feb. 21, 1899.;

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(No Model.)

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0 .3 a gf mvntoz 111' 'l fitto/Luang i No. 632,644. Patented sept. 5,|899. L. w. coPELANn.

FOLDING CRATE 0R COOP.

\App1ca.tion filed Feb. 21, 1899.)

(No Muriel.) QSheets-Sheet 2,

I Q W m00 and Wdh/wenns Pe Ilivrrnn Srarns Ferrater @erica LUTHER IV.COPELAND, OF LONGTOWN, MISSISSIPPI.

FOLDING CRA'TE oa COOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,644, datedSeptember 5, 1899.

Application tiled February 2l, 1899. Serial No. 706,413. (No model.)

Be it known that I, LUTHER W. COPELAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Longtown, in the county of Pancia and State of Mississippi,have invented ceriainnew and useful Improvements in Folding Crates orCoops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invent-ion relates to certain new and useful improvements in cratesor coops for shippingberries,vegetables,and poultry; and the object ofthe saine is to provide a simple and cheap construction of crate or coopof foldable or knockdown type which after use may be collapsed incompact shape for storage or shipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coop or crate of thischaracter in which the parts are capable of being easily and quicklyplaced in position to form the completed article and folded down inclose compass7 to provide a construction whereby the parts are rigidlyconnected and braced when assembled and the Woven-wire coveringsprotected when they are folded, and also to provide improved fasteningmeans for holding the said parts connected in both positions in a simpleand effective manner.

Vith these and other minor objects in view the invention consists incertain novel features of construction, combination, and` arrangement ofparts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a perspective view of my improved coop or crate, showing thesame ready for use. Fig. 2 is an inverted perspective view of the sameas folded for storage or shipment. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinalsection taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. et is a perspective viewshowing the sections of the coop spread apart previous to being securedtogether as shown in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a centralv vertical longitudinalsection of the completed coop shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectionthrough the folded coop shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail perspectiveview of the fastening-key.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A represents the bottomof the crate or coop; B, the ends, which arehinged to the upper side ofthe bottom; C, the sides, which are hinged to the under side of thebottom, and D Dthe top, which is made in two parts or sections hinged,respectively, to the upper edges of the said side pieces.

The bottom A may be made of any desired material-such as tin, galvanizediron, or

wood, and if wood is employed it maybe made of one or more piecesclosely connected to preventrefuse from droppingtherethrough. It isprovided with two series of openings e and f, arranged as shown, forapurpose hereinafter described. -Each end section B con.- sists of anopen rectangular frame having top, bottom, and end pieces. The top pieceor rail g of each end section is preferably made of oak or some otherhard wood and is provided at its ends with projecting tongues g/, onopposite sides of its center with vertical openings c', and at itscenter with a horizontal or transverse opening f. The 1 end pieces h ofthe end sections are provided with openings h. The side sections C arealso constructed in the form of open frames and are, as before stated,hinged to the under side of the bot-tom, so that the bottom pieces orrails thereof will abut squarely against the side edges of the bottom Awhen they are arranged vertically to form the sides of the coinpletedcoop. The end pieces i of veach side piece are notched, as at g2, toreceive the tongues of the end pieces and provided'with openings e2. Thetwo sections D D of the top, like the side and end sections, are made inthe form of open frames which are hinged to the top rails of the sides,so as to fold over upon the end sections and down upon the inner' facesof said sides. The end pieces j of each top section are provided Withopenings e3, corresponding to the openings e2 in the side sections. Astrip of ordinary woven 0r poultry Wire K is secured upon the innersides of the open frames of the end, side, and top sections to close theopenings therein and allow of the free passage of air through the coopfor ventilation.

In forming the completed crate or coop for use the end lsections arefirst turnedup to the vertical position shown in Fig. 4, the'side sec-ICO tions then turned up to bear against the same, and the two sectionsof the top folded over toward each other to rest upon the upper edges ofthe end sections. Then this is donc, it will be seen that the openings@sin the top sections will coincide with the vertical openings e in theend sections, and the tongues of the latter will engage the notches inthe side sections to hold said side sections firmly against longitudinalmovement, and thus relieve the hinges thereof of undue strain. Theopenings e2 in the side sections will also be brought into coincidencewith the openings h in said end sections. Fastening keys or pins Z ofthe form shown in detail in Fig. 7 are then passed through the openingsc3 and e' and e2 and h to hold the parts connected. This key or pinconsists of a piece of inalieable wire formed with a finger loop orringZ and a twisted shank [2. The ends of the wire at the lower extremity ofthe shank are not twisted, but left free to be bent atright angles toforin detent projections Z3, whichprevent outward movement of theconnected parts and withdrawal of the key. By bending these projectionsback to their positions in line with the shank and grasping thefinger-loop the pins may be readily Withdrawn whenever it is desired tofold or obtain access to the coop. The keys passed through the openingse2 and h' are adapted to hold the side sections when the top sectionsare opened.

' In lifting the coop for transportation from one place to another thetop rails of the side or end sections are grasped, and thus no strainfalls upon the keys. By constructing and connecting the parts in themanner above set forth a strong and durable coop or crate is providedwhich is not liable to collapse even under rough usage, as the keys,being made of malleable wire, will bend, but not break, under strain.All the-parts will thus be held firmly connected at all times.

In folding the coop for storage or shipment the keys are first removedand the end sections folded down upon the upper surface of the bottom.lVhen this is done, the openings f and f' will be brought intocoincidence, and keys eine then inserted therethrough to hold the endsections secured. The top sections are next turned down upon the innerfaces of the side sections and folded therewith over upon the under sideof the bottom, so that the openings e, e2, and es will register,

ings to hold each top and side section connected to each other andto thebottom. Vhen thus folded the coop occupies only about onethird of thespace that it does when opened, and the woven-wire strips secured to theinner sides of the sections are protectedby being arranged between theparts, so that the coop may be thrown about without liability of thestrips being torn away or punched full of holes by contact withextraneous objects.

It will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion,and minor details of construction may be made within the scope of theinvention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. Afolding coop or crate, comprisinga bottom, end`sections hinged to folddown upon the upper side of the bottom and provided with projectingtongues, side sections hinged to fold upon the under side ofthe bottomand having notches to receive the tongues of the end sections, a topcomposed of two sections hinged to turn down on the inner faces of theside sections and adapted to fold therewith upon the under side of thebottom, and keys for connecting the sections to each other and to thebottom in open or closed position, substantially as described.

2. A folding crate or coop, comprisingabottom A having the openings eand f, the openframe end sections B hinged to fold down upon the uppersurface of the bottom and provided With the openings e', f', h andtongues g', the open-frame side sections C hinged to fold upon the underside of the bottom and having the notches g2 to receive said tongues andopenings e2, a top composed of two openframe sections D D hinged to turndown upon the inner facesof the side sections and to fold therewith uponthe under side of the bottom and formed with the openings e3, aWovenwire strip secured to the inner side of each of said open-framesections, and keys adapted to be passed through said sections to holdthe same in open or collapsed condition.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lVituesses:

S. M. CLAYTON, 1F TXT @fwn-r Vrh IOO

